


Starting Over

by charmingoutlaws (twdsunshine)



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 09:51:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15603741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twdsunshine/pseuds/charmingoutlaws
Summary: When the reader’s boyfriend lashes out at her in the wrong place at the wrong time, SAMCRO rush to her rescue and take her under the club’s wing, helping her to rebuild her life and find her independence.  One member in particular though finds himself wondering if she’s ready to move on…





	Starting Over

**Author's Note:**

> This is a request that was sent in by @wonderlust-and-wild on Tumblr.
> 
> ‘I can’t decide if I want it to be Opie or Happy so Ill leave that to you. They witness the girl getting hit by her boyfriend across the street from Teller Marrow. All of a sudden he gets bum rushed with ten to twenty bikers and tries to make her leave with him. They say nope! Beats em within an inch of their life and spends the rest of the night talking to the girl about what happened and they slowly fall in love.’

You felt like you were in a trance, hyper-aware of everything that was going on around you, and yet dazed, as if it was all slightly blurry around the edges.  Your cheek stung from the blow that your boyfriend – no, ex-boyfriend – had landed on you moments before he’d found himself surrounded by angry bikers, shouting him down and pushing him to the ground.  You could hear him calling out to you, demanding that you go with him as he tried to retreat, but you weren’t sure what had happened after that.  You’d been shepherded away, surrounded by a shield of bodies, propelling you forward until they’d deposited you where you now sat, sinking into the soft cushions of a battered couch, the stench of alcohol and leather overwhelmingly strong as you tried to keep your breathing steady.

Your saviors milled around you, each clad in a sleeveless leather vest with a grotesque reaper stitched onto the back, the emblem staring menacingly at you as they spoke in lowered voices.  You were aware of the Sons, of course.  They were a fact of life when you lived in Charming, though you’d always made a point of steering clear of them, not wanting to discover whether the rumours you’d heard about their less than kosher activities were true, yet they’d come to your rescue without knowing the slightest thing about you, stepping in just in time to stop another backhanded swipe from colliding with your face.  The Scottish one with the scars on his face had made you a mug of hot, sweet tea, reassuring you kindly that it would help with the shock, and the blonde-haired one with the swagger to his step had told you to let his men know if you needed anything.  They were both clustered around the bar now, talking animatedly, though you couldn’t hear what they were saying.  Only one outlaw had remained at your side, the bearded one, built tall and broad, his hand on your knee, anchoring you to the present as your mind tried to pull you in to the past.

How could you not have seen this coming?  That was what you truly didn’t understand.  It had been building up to this for months, your partner’s temper spiralling out of control over the most insignificant concerns.  One minute he’d be grinning at you, that dimpled smile that had made your heart skip a beat back at the beginning when he was gentler, kinder and treated you like a queen; the next he’d be red-faced and panting, spittle gathering in the corners of his mouth as he screamed at you like a man possessed, his fists balled at his sides as he struggled to keep control.  The first time he’d lashed out, he’d cried afterwards, apologising, begging you to stay, and you had because you loved him.  But there had been more times after that, and with each bruise you felt that bond breaking, bit by bit, until all that was left was contempt and misery.  He’d never hit you in public before though, that was new, and it was a line crossed that you knew you couldn’t come back from.

‘Hey, you alright?’  The gravelly tone of the man beside you broke into your thoughts, and you turned to look at him, finding your mouth quirking up into a tight smile as you took in the concern that furrowed his brow.  His eyes were dark as he watched you, looking for a sign that you were coming out of the shaken state that you’d retreated in to.

‘Yeah,’ you nodded slowly, your fingers creeping up to prod tentatively at the bruising along your jaw.  You could imagine that the skin would be an attractive shade of purple already, and it was sensitive to the touch.  ‘It hurts.’

‘Has he hit you before?’

Your mouth fell open as you considered how to answer.  A part of you wanted to deny it, to appear stronger than someone who would choose to stay with a man who beat them, but a bigger part needed to be honest, to speak the truth and relieve yourself of the burden that had been weighing heavy on your shoulders.  ‘I-I-‘

You were cut off  by a burst of laughter from two of the bikers that had drifted over to the pool table and begun to rack up, and you bowed your head, staring at your hands as you twisted them in your lap.

‘Come with me.’  The man had levered himself to his feet as you watched his comrades fool around, and was offering his hand to you, waiting patiently as you debated with yourself for a moment before taking it and moving to follow him as he guided you outside and towards a picnic bench that stood beneath the shade of the club’s awning.

The garage was empty, closed up for the day, and you idly wondered what time it was, how long you’d been sitting there letting your shock numb you, before the gentle giant cleared his throat and dragged your attention back to him once more. ‘I’m Opie.’

‘Y/N,’ you offered feebly.  ‘Thank you for what you did earlier, all of you.  I don’t… I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t stepped in when you did.’

‘We saw the whole thing from here,’ he explained, pulling his beanie down lower over his ears and clasping his hands together as he leant forward to rest his elbows on his knees.  ‘Didn’t know whether to intervene or not ‘til he got violent.  Couldn’t just stand there and watch while he…’  He tailed off, lifting his hand as though to trail his fingers over your mottled cheek, but thinking better of it and letting it fall back to dangle from his leg.  ‘Has he done it before, Y/N?  You can tell me.’

‘Yeah.’  You cast your gaze downwards as the admission fell from your lips, not wanting to see the judgement in his gaze.  ‘More than once.  Never in public though, that’s new.’

You could see him processing that information, his frown growing deeper, but the look he shot you was questioning rather than critical.  ‘Why did you stay?’

‘Oh, that’s a complicated question.’  You sighed loudly, leaning back against the table as you ran your hands through your hair.  ‘There are a lot of reasons.  I mean, at first it was because I loved him, but now…  Now, I guess I’m just scared.  I’ve never been on my own.  I don’t even know if I can support myself without his income, y’know, and I know how bad that sounds, but it makes leaving seem so overwhelmingly hard.’

‘No, I get it.’  He stretched his arm out along the surface behind you, not holding you, but close enough that the warmth from him penetrated your shirt, and you shifted closer, desperate to rid yourself of the chill that seemed to accompany the dread that was sitting in your stomach like a lead weight.  Seemingly attuned to your needs, Opie let his hand settle on your shoulder, squeezing it gently before he continued.  ‘If I told you I could help, that the club could help, would you leave him?’

‘I don’t think I have a choice.’  You glanced up into those soulful eyes, your breath catching in your throat at the compassion that you saw there.  ‘I can’t go back now, not after today.  I don’t even know if I can go and get my things.  He’s gonna go crazy.’

‘He won’t be there.’

‘What?  Why?’

‘I think he’ll be spending a few days at St Thomas’ getting patched up.’  His tone was defensive, as you gawped at him, shaking your head in disbelief.

‘I don’t understand.’

‘That’s probably for the best.’  He shot you a wry smile, and you felt the tension that had begun to build again slowly ebb away.  ‘I can take you to get your things.  We can go today, as soon as you’re ready.’

‘I-I don’t have anywhere to stay.’  You knew it probably sounded like you were scraping around for excuses, but, as far as problems went, it was an immediate and significant one.  ‘I need time to find somewhere to rent and, God, I need to scrape together enough cash for a deposit, and I’ll have to ask if I can pick up some more hours at work.’  The enormity of the tasks ahead of you suddenly felt like too much and, for the first time, tears welled up behind your eyes, escaping and trickling down your cheeks, stinging as they seeped into the small cut that split your skin.

‘Hey, it’ll be okay.’  Opie’s arm tightened around you, and you nestled into him, marvelling a little at how well you tucked into the side of this total stranger and what a calming effect his touch had on you as his fingers brushed over your skin.  ‘We have some rooms in the back here.  They’re not much, but they come with a bed and a shower, and I’ll even ask Gemma to change the sheets.  I’ll have to check with Jax, but I’m sure you can stay for as long as you need.’

‘Really?’

‘You’ll have to put up with some pretty wild parties right outside your door, but if you can do that, then I’m pretty sure it won’t be a problem.’

‘Why are you doing this?’  You were still sniffling as you gazed up into his face, unable to comprehend how an outlaw with such a ruthless reputation could be so kind to you.

‘We look after our own.’

‘But I’m not-‘

‘You are now.’

 

* * *

 

Opie couldn’t help but smile as he watched Y/N lean over Juice’s shoulder where he stood beside the pool table, pointing out a better shot than the one he was currently lining up, before jabbing him in the ribs as he drew back the cue and crowing with laughter when he missed the ball.  Chibs pulled her into his side and ruffled her hair, planting a sloppy kiss on her cheek as she punched the air victoriously, before skipping out of reach when the Puerto Rican lunged for her.  It was a quiet evening in the clubhouse, typical of a weekday when they weren’t out on a run or attending to other club business, and, as he watched her cackle again before taking her own turn, he nodded to himself, satisfied that she felt at home with SAMCRO.  

It had been a couple of months since he’d led the charge as his brothers took down her asshole of a boyfriend, and he’d watched her struggle and fight and claw her way back to independence.  She was still living in one of the dorms at the back, but he knew she was working every hour she could get, saving for the deposit she needed to find a place of her own.  He respected that.  He knew Jax had offered to help her out under the guise of giving her some hours working in the office at TM, but she’d stuck to her guns, and she was doing good.

He’d been spending a lot of time with her, finding himself drawn to her quiet strength and wicked sense of humour, and they’d often chill out in her dorm with a movie and a pizza, talking into the early hours, before he’d leave her and make the short ride home alone.  The more time he spent with her, the more he marvelled at just how easily she’d come to dominate his thoughts, slipping into his life like she’d always been there, like she belonged, and it was getting harder and harder to say goodbye at the end of the night.  Still, he was reluctant to say anything, fearing the consequences of making a move too soon.  It wasn’t that long ago that she’d managed to free herself from the abusive relationship that she’d suffered with her ex, and he knew it would probably take a while before she could trust anyone enough to go down that road again.  He got it, how hard it was to move on and put yourself out there with someone new – losing Donna had shaken him to his core, and it was only now that he was starting to feel the first ache of attraction for someone else.  Of course, the circumstances were different, but they’d both come out of a relationship battered and broken.

‘Hey, Ope!’  He was torn from his reverie by her eager voice as she sidled up to him, the game over, resting her hands on his shoulders and drumming her fingers against his kutte.  ‘We ordering this pizza or what?’

‘Already did it,’ he smiled, waving his phone at her with the confirmation text lit up on the screen.  ‘Should be here soon.’

‘What?’  She pouted.  ‘You didn’t even ask what I wanted!’

‘You order the same thing every time, Y/N.’

‘Not the point!’

‘Did you want something different?’

‘No!’  Her pout slipped into a playful grin as she took his hands and hauled him to his feet.  ‘I just don’t wanna be predictable.’

‘Trust me, you’re anything but.’

They passed the evening in much the same way as they had done countless times before, lounging on her bed, eating far too much and indulging in retro horror films from before either of them were born.  As usual, Y/N was hiding behind a pillow before the midway point, and when she risked a peek at the screen at the exact wrong moment, she buried her face in his shoulder, curling into his side, and he wrapped an arm around her to comfort her, pulling her in close.  Her scent was intoxicating, pressed up against him as she was, and he couldn’t fight the want that pooled in his stomach as she squirmed.  ‘God, why do I let you make me watch these things?  Seriously, Ope, this is completely horrific!’

‘Hence horror film,’ he shot back, raising an eyebrow at her when she glared at him. ‘Clue’s kinda in the name.’

‘Yeah, well, I hate it.  This is too much!  Can we turn it off?’

He made a big show out of huffing loudly to show his displeasure, but reached for the remote and switched off the television all the same, silence falling over the room as the screams subsided.  ‘Better?’

‘Much.’

He rolled his eyes, but kept hold of her as she settled back against him, stretching her legs out on the bed and giggling when they ended a foot short of his own.  ‘How are you so long?  It’s completely unnecessary.’

‘It’s not unnecessary.’

‘Well, give me one reason why it’s useful to be built like a damn giant then, Winston.’

‘Remember that time in the store when you just had to have the packet right at the back of the top shelf?’

‘Okay, yeah, that one time it came in handy.’

‘And what about when Tig threw your car keys on the roof of the van and you begged me to get them back for you?’

‘Well, yeah, I guess that was-‘

‘And there was the time that-‘

‘Okay, okay!  I get it!’  She was giggling now, twisting beneath his arm as she rolled towards him.  ‘Maybe it’s not that unnecessary.  It’s still a pain though.  I mean, if I wanted to kiss you, I’d have to climb you like a tree!’

The second the words left her mouth he felt her tense up, her skin growing warm as she looked away, busying herself by picking up the DVD case and studying the back intently.  ‘God, even the cover is horrific.  Why the hell were we even watching this in the first place?’

‘You think about kissing me?’  He couldn’t let it drop, even as she tossed the plastic box to one side and sat forward, propping her elbows up on her knees and burying her face in her hands.

‘No.’

‘Then why say it?’

‘I don’t know.  It was just… something to say.’

‘So, you don’t want to kiss me?’  He knew he was taking it too far, keeping his tone light and teasing just in case he’d read the moment wrong, but when she looked back at him, he caught the flicker of her eyes towards his mouth and knew he had to seize the opportunity before it passed him by.  He shuffled down the mattress towards her, reaching out to cup her face in his large hand as he drew level with her, his fingers caressing over the exact spot where the bruise had blossomed the last time a man had, and would ever, hurt her.  ‘If you don’t want this, you need to tell me now.’

‘I…’  He thought for a heart-wrenching moment that she was going to tell him no, but the words never came, and the hunger in her eyes, he was sure, mirrored his own.  Closing the distance between them, his captured her lips, groaning at the soda-sweet taste of her.  Her hands were gliding down his arms, biting into his muscles as they tensed beneath her touch, and he cursed himself for wearing a long-sleeved shirt as he craved the feeling of her skin against his.  He needn’t have worried though, as moments later, her fingers found the hem and slipped underneath, mapping his stomach and chest, before sliding to his back and pulling him closer.

She whimpered when he broke away, taking in her flushed cheeks as she reached for him again.  ‘Are you sure about this?  Because if you’re not-‘

‘I’m sure.’

‘But, with everything you’ve been through, I don’t wanna-‘

‘I want this, Ope.  I trust you.  God, I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for you.’

That was enough for him, and he sank back into her, teasing her with his tongue as he tugged at her clothes, loving the little gasps that fell from her lips as he toyed with her.  ‘You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this.’

‘God, I love you.’

The words stilled his wandering hands, and he pulled back to look at her as she panted beneath him, eyes wide and hopeful, lips swollen from his greedy kisses. ‘You do?’

‘I think so, yeah.’

‘I love you, too.’

 

* * *

 

In the bar, Tig held a finger to his lips to silence the conversation as he strained his ears to hear the muffled moans that drifted down the corridor from the dorms.  He exchanged an amused glance with Chibs, letting out a hushed chuckle.  ‘Well, whaddya know, he finally made a move!’

‘Bout time,’ the Scot muttered, taking a swig of his beer and nodding to Juice.  ‘Stick some music on, Juicy.  Let’s give ‘em some privacy, eh?’

* * *


End file.
